Forever Young
by Atheleia
Summary: It was all an accident. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. The Achilles Heel has another secret, one that defies normality, even for demigods. Percy Jackson has just woken up from a 75-year coma...and he still looks exactly the same.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: So, I decided to get back into writing after a long hiatus and this is my "let's get back into writing" story. This idea has been entertaining me for quite a few months now and I finally decided to put it down on paper (or electronically, but we can pretend that it's paper). Tell me how I did in a review!

This story takes place after the Last Olympian and is ignoring the newer Heroes of Olympus series.

* * *

Thalia opened the old shoe box and began sorting. The Hunters of Artemis were due to leave in two hours and she wanted everything packed by then. There was really very little she needed or had left here (after all, she hadn't exactly spent long at Camp before...well, before becoming a pine tree and joining the Hunters of Artemis), but there were a couple of things she hadn't thought to bring until now.

Thalia thumbed a picture of Luke, Annabeth, and herself. A wave of memories engulfed her as she watched the picture of them smiling and laughing, messing around. They all looked so happy. She missed those days, fighting together, standing together. Of course, she had more people to fight alongside now, but still...still...

She placed the picture next to a silver backpack, courtesy of Artemis. The goddess was very generous in giving gifts to her Hunters and the backpack was one of Thalia's favorites. The backpack was light and compact no matter how much stuff she put in there, which was really, quite useful. It was also surprisingly durable—somehow it hadn't been scratched despite the numerous battles she had taken it into.

The next three pictures in the shoebox were newer ones that she'd taken about three months after the Second Titan War. The first was of Percy, Annabeth, and herself. The son of Poseidon was in the middle, his arm around the two of them, a gigantic grin on his face. Annabeth had her arms around Percy in an embrace, the most relaxed smile Thalia had seen on the girl in a while. Thalia remembered having tickled Percy afterwards (the boy was surprisingly ticklish for being the Hero of Olympus). In the background was the Big House. Chiron appeared to have photo-bombed in the background, though Thalia doubted it was on purpose.

The next was the same, though this time Grover was with them. The goofy satyr had half of a tin can in his mouth, having been pushed away from the camera and forced to take a photo. Percy was laughing and Thalia was as well while Annabeth shook her head. Thalia felt a smile light her face. That had been a good day. It was odd to think that Annabeth was technically older than her now. The little girl who had burst out of the trash can with the hammer had grown up.

The most recent photo was of Nico, Percy, and herself, the three children of the Big Three. Nico had a very, very faint smile on his face, more of a satisfied smirk, to be honest. Thalia stood in the middle, having ruffled both boys' hair. They were standing in front of the newly completed Hades cabin. Nico had offered to raise a skeleton to help them take a picture though Thalia and Percy had immediately vetoed the idea. Somehow, Thalia felt that she would have a little more difficulty smiling as easily if a skeleton was taking her picture.

Good times. Thalia sighed as she dropped the photos into her backpack. Good times.

Suddenly, the door burst open, a fresh gust of wind blowing into the Zeus cabin. Startled, Thalia jumped up, her hand reaching towards her bracelet until she realized who it was.

The blonde stood there, her face pale and gray eyes tinged with red. Her usually tidy hair was messed up, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.

"Thalia..." she began, before her words were replaced by racking sobs. The daughter of Zeus leaped up and ran towards the daughter of Athena. She'd never seen her friend look so broken...so...

"What's wrong?" Thalia asked urgently. "Annabeth, tell me!"

Annabeth fought away her tears, blinking at them, trying to clear her eyes. "Percy...he..."

"Did he break up with you?" Thalia's voice became dangerously suspicious. The room suddenly seemed to spark up, the tips of Thalia's hairs beginning to stand up.

"No...he..." Annabeth swallowed. "He..."

There was a clopping of hooves and Chiron entered. There was a grim look on his face, one that Thalia knew could only mean trouble. "Annabeth," he said quietly. "Let's go into the Big House to discuss this."

"No!" Annabeth shouted wildly. "Chiron, I _can't_."

The centaur placed a firm hand on her shoulder and finally, after what seemed like forever, she nodded meekly and walked with him.

"Thalia, please go get the head counselors. We need to have a talk."

* * *

Ever since Percy had saved Olympus, there were a great deal more demigods, cabins, and head counselors. The rec room was crowded with people, arguing and laughing. None of them seemed to be particularly informed about what exactly was happening and appeared to be in a fairly lighthearted mood. Thalia couldn't seem to recognize any of the head counselors except for Nico, who sat in the corner moodily (whether it was because he knew what had happened to Percy or because he was just being Nico, Thalia wasn't sure), Clarisse, who was polishing her third electric spear, and Annabeth, who stood next to Chiron numbly.

Chiron cleared his throat and most of the counselors quieted. The silence was interrupted by an abrupt snore from Clovis, the head counselor of the Morpheus cabin, which a few of the head counselors chuckled at. However, a well placed glare by Thalia shut them up quickly.

"I figured it was best to tell you before rumors got started," Chiron said quietly. "Unfortunately, there's been an accident that is out of our hands. All of you know Percy Jackson. This morning, he, Annabeth Chase, and Nico di Angelo were in New York doing a scouting mission for possible demigods when they were attacked. Percy chose to take on the Curse of Achilles last summer in order to save Olympus. By a stroke of luck, the monster managed to hit Percy's Achilles' spot."

Clarisse stood up, her spear clattering. "The punk _died_?" Her voice was filled with disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that Percy had the nerve to get himself killed.

"No," Chiron said. Clarisse sat back down onto the couch, murmuring something about Chiron being overly dramatic.

"No. Luckily, the hit was blunt and the impact spread out across a wide area. However, Percy has fallen into a deep coma and we're unsure when he will be able to come out of it."

"But...he _will_ come out of it, right?" Katie Gardener asked.

Chiron hesitated. "I cannot say," he decided.

"So why isn't he here?" Travis Stoll questioned. "If he's injured and all, why do we need to know?" There was a murmur that went around the room. Thalia would've liked to slap Travis, but he did pose a good question. Demigods got injured all the time. What was so special about this one? Except for the fact that Percy had bathed in the Styx...

Chiron seemed to be struggling to answer and to Thalia's immense surprise, Annabeth spoke up. "He's not here because he's fallen into mortal custody. Chiron has tried to manipulate the Mist but something seems to be preventing him from doing so. Not to mention, people..." her voice cracked. "People don't necessarily heal the same way after they've taken on the Curse of Achilles. We don't know what's going to happen."

Thalia could tell that those words had sapped all of Annabeth's remaining strength from her and stood up, firmly placing a hand on her friend's shoulder and leading her away.

The two walked until they returned to the Cabins. Thalia first started leading Annabeth to the Athena cabin when Annabeth stopped.

"Please," she said shakily. "I don't want to see them."

Thalia nodded and instead, the two returned to the Zeus cabin. The cabin seemed different now. Empty.

"What happened?" Thalia asked as Annabeth sat down on a bed. "Please, Annabeth, I want to hear it from you."

Annabeth swallowed. "We were in New York with Nico, scouting for some new demigods that Grover had mentioned. They were supposed to take the bus every day and Grover was going to meet us at the bus station. Percy and I were talking when Nico, who looked like he'd been dozing, suddenly jerked his head up and told us to run. We were startled when the monster attacked...it came from behind us. We managed to hold it at bay for a while but Nico was caught by a surprise attack and my knife slipped. I was running to get it when Percy..." her voice faltered, before she resumed her story. "Percy was battling the monster when from behind, its tail, which had been invisible before that, whipped him in the back. It was horrible. His body went rigid as if going through shock before he collapsed. It was all I could do to prevent the monster from killing him and by the time it ran away, the mortal ambulance had taken him in." She choked back a sob.

Thalia put her arm around Annabeth. "Can you go see him? What's wrong with the Mist?" Chiron could always manipulate the Mist. There had to be something wrong.

Annabeth shook her head desperately. "I don't know," she whispered. "They're not letting anyone see him, except for his mother and that's only rarely. There's something wrong...we don't know what...Thalia, I can't _do_ anything and I can't just sit here and wait. What if he never wakes up? What if I never see him again?"

"You will," Thalia said firmly. "Seaweed Brain is strong. He isn't going to just abandon us like that."

There was a long moment of silence and Thalia wondered if she had said the right thing.

"You're right," Annabeth said finally. "Alright." She leaned into Thalia and Thalia knew that Annabeth didn't believe the words she was saying. She was trying, but she didn't.

"Everything will be fine," Thalia soothed. "We'll find Percy. We'll find a way."

"Everything will be alright."

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

It was the sound of machines that woke him up. He groaned. It seemed like it would've made more sense if his head hurt, but no, it was his back. His back ached with such severe pain that he felt as if he was going to collapse.

The next thing he noticed were his surroundings. He was in a room, painted white and completely devoid of anything except for a bunch of large metal machines and a metal door. At least a dozen wires were connected to him in all different places. There was no one else in the room, just him. He was dressed in unfamiliar clothing, comfortable enough, but hospital clothing. White and white and white. He hated white at the moment.

What he really noticed was what _wasn't_ around him. There was no nectar in his mouth, no ambrosia on the table, no Argus at the door, no Chiron in a wheelchair.

No Annabeth yelling at him for being in whatever condition he was in now.

He started to get up but pain raced through him and he briefly let himself fall back down. The bed he was on wasn't comfortable, not in the least. The machines worked steadily, calculating his heart rate, his brain waves, everything. It made him feel like he was being analyzed.

He struggled up again, this time forcing himself into a sitting position. He was not going to be toyed around with. Not this time.

The machine's beeps grew louder and an alarm flared. He panicked. He didn't belong here, every fiber of him told him that. He ripped out some of the wires, the heart monitor making a loud and long beep like that in movies, the line going flat. His skin stung where it had been and he disengaged himself from the machines. He was almost done as a doctor, his face pale and his hair messy like he'd been asleep, rushed in.

"You're awake," he muttered, like he couldn't believe it. "My God, you're awake."

"Where am I?" his voice was panicked, raspy like he hadn't used it in forever. "Tell me where I am!"

"You're fine," the doctor soothed. "Look, we'll get you some help, you're completely fine..."

A wave of energy burst through him and an IV burst open, showering the doctor who yelped in surprise and slammed a button. The alarms wailed even louder than before. He tore a needle out of his skin, ignoring the pain and the blood that dripped on the floor as he stumbled off the bed and fell. The doctor, recovering from his surprise, stood up and began walking towards him, hands outstretched. He didn't fail to notice the piece of cloth in the man's hand...something told him it wasn't for him to wipe his nose on. "Now, son, listen to me and..."

He instinctively whipped out his pen and it expanded into a sword which he swung at the doctor. The man jumped a foot high, the cloth falling to the ground. He stood up shakily, ignoring the pain in his legs as he ran for the door. He burst out, face to face with a crowd of doctors and nurses.

"Holy...he really is awake," one gasped.

One woman in particular stood out to him. She carried a small purple purse which looked odd against her white coat. Her expression was narrowed as if she found the fact that he was awake absolutely detestable.

He ran the other way.

The doctors pursued, yelling at him, the woman leading them. She ran at an amazingly fast pace in high heels and he was gasping for breath by the time he found a stairwell. He raced up and opened a door to find himself in the sunlight.

It took several blinks for him to adjust to the sunlight. Where was he? He seemed to be on a roof of some sort. Below him was a street...but it wasn't the same sort of street that he remembered. There...

The door behind him burst open, but there was only the woman. She looked at him and gave a small smile. "Don't you think you've been naughty enough?"

A shiver crept up his back and he took a step back, Riptide out before him. She wasn't mortal. She couldn't be.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

With that, he charged, slashing the air in front of him. The woman ducked with surprising agility. Daggers shot out of nowhere, one tearing a hole in his hospital outfit. He rolled as the woman flung a tiny bottle at him. It looked somewhat like lipstick, but he had a feeling inside that it was much, much worse than getting a facial.

"I've been waiting a long time," she smiled. "Long term jobs are always the hardest. The security here is tight, tighter than any normal mortal could possibly make it. But I managed to slip in. And you, my dear, no longer belong on this world."

"What are you talking about?" He felt his mouth move and someone say the words in his mind, but it didn't sound like his voice. Not in the least.

"You'll figure it out sooner or later," she smiled, whipping something else out of her purse. "I..."

The woman faltered, her expression turning to confusion. "No, but, I...!"

She grimaced, returning her hand to her pocket. "It's not your time yet, demigod. But I _will_ see you, and soon."

She threw something to the ground and disappeared in a plume of purple smoke.

Something about the way she'd left had made him feel uneasy, like there was something giving her orders. He ran down the stairwell through a line of unconscious humans and onto the street.

He didn't recognize where he was. It was on some sort of street and the sign above the door he'd just exited read _Allen Infirmary_.

A car zoomed by, then three more. It took him a moment to realize what was wrong...they made no sound. Their wheels gleamed like they were perfectly brand new and they were fast. Fast and compact, fitting only two and the occasional four people. The cars were completely different and he even thought he saw a driver asleep at the wheel as the car drove itself.

What?

A man walked happily by him without even glancing his way. Two earplugs were in his ears but there was nothing connecting them, not a single thing. He hummed happily to a strange but catchy tune.

Where was he?

He ran up to the music man and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but what day is it?"

The man blinked. "It's Thursday of course!"

"What's the date?"

"June 27th. Why, got an important appointment you might've missed?" The man winked and was about to keep moving when he gripped the man's shoulder.

"What year?"

The man blinked. "Man, how bad of a hangover did you have last night?" He chuckled. "2087 of course! Now go get some rest! No girl's gonna want you hangin' round her like this!" He jogged off, humming his tune again.

The words hit him like a brick.

2087.

This couldn't be true. It couldn't...

He fell to the pavement, unable to accept the only truth possible. He looked at his arms and sleeves...the same. No wrinkles. He stood up and walked over to a shop window where he glanced at a reflection of himself.

This was 2087 and Percy Jackson had been in a coma for the past 75 years.

And somehow, he was exactly the same.


	2. What Used to be Home

Author's Note:

First of all, Happy New Year! Think of this as a special holiday update. ;)

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the support I've gotten for the Prologue! I've added quite a bit to it (unfortunately I forgot to save the chapter so it cut off abruptly, I know, stupid me...you guys probably want to look at the end of the chapter to catch up). It's decently important and will be touched upon later on in the story. If you're too lazy to read, a basic summary is this. Annabeth explains exactly what happened in New York and the scene shifts to Percy, who wakes up in an unknown room surrounded by machines. In confusion, he flees and is chased by several doctors and nurses. An unknown woman corners him on the rooftop and is about to finish him off when she appears to get orders to spare him. She leaves with a threat. Percy exits the building and after questioning a jogger, finds that it is the year 2087.

So (if you don't mind listening to me rant, if you do, just skip this), this will be the average length of each of my actual chapters (the prologue was a bit shorter since I could fit everything I wanted in about 3000 words). I'm hoping to update at least once a week on Saturdays or Sundays depending (and the occasional extra holiday update). My goal is that by Christmas next year, this story will be complete. At the same time, I also really want to get back to working on all of my other Percy Jackson stories, so it's going to be a challenge to keep up with everything and I'd ask for your patience with updates. I have enough time, the question is whether or not I have enough discipline to finish. I haven't finished a single story yet (even those I painstakingly spent hours planning), so this would be a great accomplishment for me.

Without further ado, here is the first real chapter!

* * *

It took him a while, but he finally found out where he was. The little town of Angelica, New Jersey was rather friendly and Percy had found a beaten up and abandoned map in a trash can. He figured it would take him maybe two hours to walk to Manhattan.

A lump formed in his throat. Percy still didn't think he could cope with...with everything. 75 years. He'd been...who knows where for the past 75 years. He felt an urge to cry. This must've been what Bianca felt like when she'd realized she'd been stuck in the Lotus Casino for so many decades...

Still, his demigod instincts kicked in, refusing to let him sit around. How Percy had managed to not be murdered by monsters in a mortal facility over 75 years, he had no idea and he wasn't going to question it. Annabeth might, but...

Annabeth! Percy paled. It had been 75 years. What if...

His pace quickened. He had to get to Manhattan. He just had to.

Two and a half long hours later, Percy slumped against a park bench in Manhattan. He was tired, so tired, and thirsty. And hungry.

"Burgers, burgers!" a street vendor yelled. Thank the gods that they still had those. Percy stumbled over. He must've looked like a mental patient with his hospital clothes all torn up. He'd have to get something decent to wear as soon as possible.

"How much?" he asked as he approached the stand. The man's hands were beefy and thick and he looked at Percy with disapproval as if wondering where the mental patient popped out of.

"It'll be fifteen dollars for a regular," the vendor said. "Cheapest burgers you'll find around here."

Percy didn't even have a single dollar on him. "Never mind then," he said, turning and beginning to walk away.

"No, no! I'll make you a wonderful burger, m'boy." A large hand clamped onto his shoulder. "A wonderful burger indeed."

Something about the man's voice sent a shiver up Percy's back. He whipped around, instincts kicking back in to face the monster in front of him.

The monster was made of pure metal. His entire body was silver and his hands clutched a meat cleaver. Two beady black eyes peered out like they'd been stuck on. He roared in delight as he slammed his weapon into the pavement, right where Percy had been a second ago.

"I have waited a long time for you to exit your safe haven, son of Poseidon," the monster growled. "Customers who do not pay will be dealt with appropriately."

Percy raised his sword as the meat cleaver crashed down again. The force sent him tumbling back, wincing. He hadn't fought in so long and his body groaned in pain.

"Are you a creation of Hephaestus?" Percy murmured. He hoped that he still had the blessing (or curse) of Achilles. Did it come with a 75-year warranty?

"Hephaestus? Bah, that ancient inventor wouldn't know how to put me together, even if I came with a manual!" the monster scoffed. "No, I created myself! I fed on what mankind left behind for progress and I built myself! I am Synthos, a monster of the new age!"

Percy grimaced. He wondered exactly what Synthos meant by what mankind had left behind but he had a feeling that this wasn't the best time to ask. Instead, he charged.

Instincts kicked in during the battle. Percy slashed at the Synthos, but his blade skittered off of the monster, sparks flying into the monster's eyes. Synthos didn't seemed to be bothered. "You have skin of iron, Perseus Jackson, but I am made of steel. I cannot be destroyed!" He swung the meat cleaver Percy's way and it hit against his elbow. To Percy's immense relief, the blade didn't cut and instead bounced off.

Percy was feeling desperate. He was out of practice and unlike him, this monster didn't seem to have an Achilles' heel. If Annabeth was here she'd surely be able to find one, but Percy...

There had to be a chink in his armor. There just had to.

Riptide couldn't slice through steel. But the monster claimed to have made itself. _Think_, Percy thought to himself. _What would Annabeth do?_

"You're absolutely nothing!" Percy yelled. "You're just a suit of armor, a scrapbook of metal! You're not a real monster, no matter how much you'd like to be!"

Synthos' black eyes glittered with hate. "I created myself out of the remainders of a scrapyard! I am more monstrous than anything you have witnessed, Jackson, for I have the power of life in my hand. I have no Achilles' heel. You will not be able to take me down...but I will destroy you."

With blinding speed, Synthos hit Percy in the chest with his arm. His skin, sharp as a blade, cut a hole in Percy's shirt though it didn't penetrate his skin. Percy was sent somersaulting back, his blade clattering out of his hand.

Synthos advanced with ease. "I will be the monster to defeat Perseus Jackson, Hero of Olympus," he said with a satisfied smile. "Say your prayers for they will be your last!"

He struck down at Percy. At the last possible second, the demigod rolled out of the way grabbing onto Synthos' meat cleaver. The monster, stunned, brought the cleaver up and tried to swat at him with his hand, but Percy was ready.

With one swift motion, he stabbed down at the monster's eyes. Synthos' look of triumph was replaced by confusion and then fear. Then, he crumbled.

However, there was no dust in Percy's face to wipe off. All there were were useless scraps of metal. Percy picked up a piece to find a very fine, barely visible powder, unlike that he'd ever seen before.

The powder seemed to whisper as he held it up to inspect.

_Soon, Percy Jackson_, a voice came in his head. _This is the New Age and you do not belong. Soon, you will see why_.

Then the powder vanished.

"Thanks for nothing," Percy said to the air. "Except for maybe the burgers."

* * *

After eating his fill of the burgers (they were rather good, though Percy steered clear of the box marked Monster patties...he wasn't sure if that meant large or made of monster meat...speaking of monster meat, could you make Monster patties? Or did monsters just disintegrate...), Percy felt full but tired. The only thing that kept him moving was the determination to find out, though at the same time he was filled with apprehension.

When he reached the apartment, Percy held his breath. Through the years he'd been gone, it had grayed and dulled. Bricks were chipped and compared to the tall, luxurious buildings around it, the building looked rather awkward. Percy was surprised that it was still standing. The glass doors to the lobby were broken and as Percy passed his fingers over the brick walls, he couldn't help but notice a broken weatherbeaten sign. The words _For Sale_ had been crossed out and in faded permanent marker, replaced with the words _To be Demolished_. Percy picked it up. It had to have been there for quite a while...why they hadn't gotten around to destroying the building, he had no idea.

Cautiously, he stepped around the broken glass. The formerly clean cut and welcoming lobby was completely devoid of life. Most of the furniture had been hauled out, leaving only a stool with a broken leg. Percy couldn't help like feeling he was stepping into a haunted place. It was different though, from all the places he'd been with and had seen ghosts in. No, this place...the only thing it was haunted by was the ghosts of his memory.

The elevators had long been disabled so Percy had to suffer through seven flights of stairs. By the time he got to the top, he was wincing in pain and panting heavily. Finally, he pushed the heavy door open and walked along the corridor to a place he used to call home.

The door to his living room had been torn down and Percy carefully stepped around it as he entered the room. It had been deserted a long time ago and the previous tenant had taken most of what Percy remembered away. He fingered the dust on the mantelpiece of the fake fireplace, remembering.

"_Mom, what's Santa Claus gonna do for Christmas?" A seven year old Percy tugged at his mother's shirt._

"_What do you mean, honey?" Even then, Sally's eyes were tired and haggard. She was cooking up something that smelled wonderful and she looked distracted._

"_Well," Percy's voice was hesitant, uncertain. "Um..." his green eyes shifted back and forth. "We don't have a chimney."_

_Sally laughed as she paused in her cooking to ruffle her son's hair. "Don't worry, Percy," her warm voice washed over him like the tide at sunset. "Santa always finds a way."_

Percy shook his head as he left the living room to his mom's room. Even though everything had been moved out, Percy still felt he could see her sitting at her desk, typing furiously. Had Paul stayed with her? Had she been happy? A lump formed in Percy's throat that he pushed down.

He circled the room before exiting quickly, not wanting to spend too much time there. Finally, at the end of the hallway, he entered his room.

There was a loose board right where the door used to open and Percy tripped over it, catching himself just in time. He stared at the board for a moment. He'd always done the same when he'd lived there. The board had loosened when he'd driven Riptide into the floor in an attempt to find the green trident bead from his Camp Half-Blood necklace. It had rolled underneath the floorboards and Percy had had to loosen the board up to find it.

Percy stared at his room as if seeing it for the first time. He breathed in unsteadily, feeling mixed emotions sweep up on him. This had been the room he'd always lived in and now...the walls were peeling from old paint and what remained of his life was gone.

He felt sick. This had to be a joke. A sick joke.

Percy turned to leave when he spotted something odd about the floorboard. There was something blue underneath it. Percy kneeled down on the dusty floor and pried the board off with his hands. A blue box sat there, taking up all of the space underneath. As Percy's hand made contact with it, all the dust flew off and a name appeared on it as if written by an invisible hand.

_Percy Jackson_.

Trembling, Percy fumbled with the box's latch. There was no password but it must've been magical to have been concealed for so long without someone opening it. Finally, the latch opened. The box was beautiful on the inside, the velvet lining shimmering between blues and greens. A familiar salty smell filled Percy in a way that was both comforting and saddening. The box was crammed with tokens and mementos, along with a stack of letters, the top one marked with the number 1.

The first item Percy recognized was his Camp Half-Blood necklace. There were the original four beads he had earned from his four summers on a piece of string. Next to it was a cork bottle with a letter, like the type you heard about in stories. A message bottle. A dozen golden drachma were stacked together, their golden surfaces gleaming like they'd just been made the day before. There was something off about the dimensions of the box, like there were more things in it than such a small box should be able to hold. Percy shook the thought off.

At the bottom of the box were numerous photographs: him, Thalia, and Nico in front of the Hades cabin; his mother and him in Montauk near the sea. Each photo made Percy's heart feel heavier. Images of his past...a past he could never return to.

There were many more items in the box but Percy didn't want to look at them. It was too painful...and looking at them would only reinforce the reality of his situation. Percy didn't want to remember and he could only hold out for the hope that this was somehow, somehow all a dream.

He exited the apartment with the box under his arm and stared at the street. He did his best cabbie whistle and gazed desperately at the skies.

A minute passed by and Percy didn't see the black winged pegasus that had always greeted him when in need. His heart sank. He made his way to the main road slowly as the small, foreign cars zoomed by him. Did they still have taxis? No, he couldn't take a taxi, he didn't have any money on him...

At least not mortal money.

Percy was reluctant to use the drachma from the blue box, but he figured this was his only chance to get to Camp, to sort things out.

It had been so many years since he remembered Annabeth uttering those words, and for a moment, Percy feared he'd forgotten them. But the Greek spilled out of his mouth as if it had been waiting for this moment.

"Stêthi," Percy whispered, "ô hárma diabolês." He threw the coin into the pavement.

A smoky gray car erupted from the street, which had briefly turned blood red. The car was different than Percy remembered, compact and lightweight like all of the other cars. Even this had changed.

"Passage? Passage?" The words, same as the ones that had been uttered an entire lifetime earlier, made Percy feel like sinking into the ground.

"Camp Half-Blood," he muttered as he opened the back door.

"Boy, you need to shout louder!" One of the Sisters, Wasp probably, cried as the taxi zoomed off. "Tempest, give me the eye!" she shouted. "I need to see!"

Tempest scowled as she dropped the green eye in her sister's lap. Wasp pushed it into her eyelid and did a sharp turn that made Percy almost slam into the other side of the car. To Percy's dismay, they hadn't gotten any better at driving through the years.

"You look familiar!" Wasp screeched.

A chill ran up Percy's back. "No I don't."

"Yes you do!" Wasp exclaimed as she swerved wildly around traffic. "Anger, don't you think he looks familiar?"

"Well I could tell you if you gave me the eye!" Anger wailed. "Tempest, where's the boy's coin?"

"Not with you!" Tempest shouted. Anger made a desperate grab at her sister's mouth but Tempest lunged out of reach...or as much out of reach that was possible when crowded in the same seat.

"We told you the location!" Wasp's green eye widened. "Boy, you shouldn't be alive!"

"Well, lucky me then," Percy mumbled. His hands clutched the blue box like his life depended on it.

The Gray Sisters didn't seem to notice. "Give it back!" Tempest yelled as Anger triumphantly raised the tooth over her head. Wasp pressed the accelerator and the blue box flew out of Percy's hands, smashing into the seat in front of him.

Percy scrambled for the box as Wasp slammed on the brakes. Percy's head slammed into the front seat and his invincibility didn't stop him from yelling.

"OW!"

The car spun around, giving Percy nausea until it screeched to a stop. Squabbling and fighting broke out in the front seat and Percy picked up the blue box with caution. There wasn't a single scratch on it, thank goodness.

He decided not to wait around, exiting the taxi in a hurry. It zoomed off almost immediately, leaving Percy to stare at the strawberry field surrounding Camp.

They still looked exactly the same, which Percy could hardly believe. Thalia's pine tree still stood tall and proud, the Golden Fleece on its branches, Peleus curled around the tree contentedly. The golden dragon had grown at least five times in length and it was hard to believe that the dog-sized lizard had grown to such enormous length.

Percy made his way towards the hill numbly, as if moving in a dream. The climb passed in a blur until Percy stood at the top of Half-Blood hill, looking down on the camp he used to call home.

It still looked the same, which pained Percy more than he cared to admit. Then again, if it looked too different, he might've stormed to the Big House, gotten a sword, and stabbed himself. Or maybe that wouldn't work. Sort of hard to stab his back by himself...

The only major changes were the enormous amount of cabins (at least forty, with evidence of a couple more being built) and the fact that Percy recognized no one.

A satyr clopped up to him. From the looks of him, he was fairly young, about the age that Grover had been when he'd found Percy. The thought stung.

"My gods, how did you make it here by yourself?" the satyr exclaimed. He poked his nose, as if something was wrong with it. "That's odd, you smell..." he wavered. "I don't know. You smell strong. And you're a bit old for a recruit." He sniffed again, then shook his head in a blur. "And..." he frowned. "Something..."

Percy didn't particularly want to be examined by the young satyr and began to move away. "Uh..."

"Oh, right!" The satyr brightened, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "I'm supposed to take you to Chiron! All new arrivals are supposed to!"

"I'm not exactly new..." Percy's voice faltered. How exactly was he supposed to explain?

"Oh?" The satyr seemed troubled. "But I haven't seen you before..." He frowned. "Never mind! Chiron will sort things out!"

The satyr began to go off when he noticed Percy wasn't following. "Well, come on then! Oh, I forgot to tell you my name, didn't I? It's Mahogany. Mahogany Underwood. Everyone calls me Maho."

Percy froze. _Underwood_?

"My dad says it's a pity that Mom insisted on naming me after a tree," the satyr chatted. "Mahogany sounds so serious and he says that's nothing like me. I don't mind, though it's sort of girly which is typical of Mom, she wanted a girl, and I insisted everyone call me Maho from the time I could talk. But," Maho looked ashamed of himself. "You don't want to hear about that. Come on!"

Percy let himself be dragged away, staring at Maho like he'd never seen a satyr before. Maho seemed to be used to it, though Percy was sure that was under different circumstances and for different reasons.

A few campers stared at him, then turned away. Probably thought he was just another new camper. One kid in particular though fixed his gaze on him. Was that recognition? Shock? Percy couldn't tell and before he was able to ask, Maho had steered him into the Big House.

"Chiron!" he yelled. "I brought back a camper!"

The sound of clopping hooves filled Percy's ears. "Maho," a familiar voice sighed, "I've already told you, you're too young to go off wandering to find campers without my permi-"

The voice stopped as the centaur entered the room. Percy swallowed.

Chiron stared steadily at Percy. Instead of the warmth Percy normally saw, he saw doubt and fear flickering in Chiron's eyes. The look made Percy feel uneasy, though it vanished in the next second.

"Perseus." Chiron's voice was hollow as if he couldn't believe it.

"Perseus?" Maho blinked, looking from Chiron to Percy. "Who...but...no." Maho gaped. "I've seen you before!"

Chiron blinked, only just remembering the satyr was here. "Maho..." he said gently, "How about you go check on the harpies? Dinner will be starting soon."

"But..."

A steely look quieted the satyr and sent him clopping out the door.

A moment of silence passed between Chiron and Percy. Finally, Chiron sighed.

"We better go to my office. We seem to have a lot to talk about."

* * *

Chiron listened to Percy's story without interrupting, his steady gaze completely devoid of emotions. When Percy finished his story, the centaur walked around the room until he picked up an old, half-destroyed book from the bookshelf. Percy found himself staring at the pictures on the wall, especially the one of him and Annabeth. His heart throbbed. He wanted to ask Chiron what had happened but he was afraid of the answer.

"Percy?" Chiron's voice broke through Percy's thoughts and the son of Poseidon shook his head in surprise.

"Sorry Chiron," Percy mumbled, not looking at the centaur.

Chiron seemed to understand, though he didn't say anything. "Take a look at this," he said instead. He placed the book reverently in front of Percy.

The cover was made of leather, cracked from the years and a rip ran down the back of the book. Percy picked it up, looking at it.

"Why would I need a book?" he asked. What he really wanted to say was this. _Why would I need a book when it feels like my life's about to end?_

"This is the diary of a man named Latimer Brown," Chiron began to explain. "He was a minor demigod, son of Hecate. His mother was a daughter of Hermes though, which is why this story was never given its full credit. The son of magic and deception...no one would believe his tale."

"...So?"

"Latimer was just a boy when he ventured into the Underworld. Using his magic, he found his way to the Styx." Percy shivered. The river appeared in his memory, swirling away with mementos people had tossed into it as they journeyed to the Underworld. This time though, he saw his own mementos, lost in the waters.

"With his mother's blessing, the boy jumped into the river. He almost died but made it out alive. Filled with joy and excitement, he ran off, foolishly not looking behind. A hellhound pounced on him and knocked him out. The boy fell into a coma."

_A coma_. The story was beginning to piece together in Percy's mind

"Latimer woke up years later, the exact number of years is uncertain, to a whole new world. Yet he still looked and felt the same." Chiron seemed to hesitate as he took the book away from Percy's grasp.

"What happened to him?"

Chiron looked out the window and Percy knew for certain that it wasn't good.

"He committed suicide a week later. He couldn't handle it." Chiron turned away, not looking at Percy.

Percy swallowed. Was that what was in store for him? Anger burned in the pit of his stomach. He'd survived a war...only to fall into a coma and die anyways. What sort of life was that?

"So what do I do now? Go shoot myself?" Percy's voice was full of bitter hatred. He wished Chiron had never told him Latimer's story.

"You must go and decide for yourself if you still belong in this world." Chiron's words reminded Percy so eerily of the woman on the roof, who he'd forgotten about until now. "There are people you need to talk to, stories you need to hear. It is only after you have heard them that you can decide where to go and how to go."

For the first time, Chiron noticed the blue box. Percy hadn't bothered to mention it in his story, but somehow he got the feeling that Chiron knew what it was.

"Go now, Percy Jackson." Chiron's voice sounded heavy, older than Percy had ever heard it. "The future awaits."

* * *

He walked towards the forest, unsure of where to go. Campers glanced at him before pinning him as a new arrival. The boy who had been staring at him for a longer period of time earlier was currently talking to someone else about his age. Percy didn't bother to look more as he entered the forest.

Despite it having been three quarters of a century since Percy last walked through it, his feet seemed to remember where to go.

"That's good, Briar," a voice said. The hairs on the back of Percy's neck stood up. "Thank you for your report." The voice chuckled and Percy saw a pretty dryad making her way out of the clearing.

Percy stepped into the green light that still dotted the clearing, same as ever. It looked better than the last time Percy had seen it, more trees, more flowers. Birds sang cheerfully and butterflies floated from flower to flower. It was so...pleasant. Happy. So much that it felt wrong.

Three satyrs sat in topiary thrones. The one in the middle was a little older than the other two, but they all looked fairly young, at least compared to Silenus and Leneus. The satyr in the middle laughed as the other two cracked jokes. Then he noticed Percy.

"I'm sorry, the Council's meeting just ended..." his voice faltered, brown eyes meeting green.

"Hello Grover," Percy said, swallowing the pain and joy he felt. "How have the last 75 years been?"

* * *

Author's Note:

Okay, so I know that Mahogany is really more of a girl's name (sort of realized it after I wrote it down), but I got really into Maho's character and didn't feel like making any changes. Besides, Juniper named him. :x I hope Maho sounded okay. He's rather peppy and excited, being a young satyr and very eager to prove himself. I guess I would say he's overconfident and proud of his father, though at the same time, he doesn't like living in his father's shadow and is trying to differentiate himself.

Please please review!


	3. Pictures of the Past

Author's Note:

So...sorry for the late update. I've been super busy settling back in, yada yada. Enjoy!

* * *

The two of them stared at each other in shock for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw the two younger satyrs look at each other in confusion.

"My gods..." Grover slid off a chair. His friend hadn't grown much taller through the years, but his age was evident in his eyes and his long horns, as well as his graying goat fur. Percy couldn't help but notice the wrinkles in his friend's skin...wrinkles that hadn't been there before.

Grover clopped closer to him before stopping a few feet away, hesitating. He took another step forwards before stopping again.

"Percy..." he murmured. "Percy...holy Poseidon...holy Zeus..." Grover stared at Percy as if he had come back from the dead, which Percy supposed after so long, might've felt like it.

"Grover..."

Percy's mind went blank. What did someone say to his best friend after 75 years? He'd heard people complain about their boyfriends or girlfriends not getting in touch for a week...or a month...or sometimes a year...but 75?

He swallowed. "Grover..."

The satyr shook his head. Grover's expression was still mixed picture of disbelief, awe, joy, and pain. "You don't need to talk," Grover said. "Let's take a walk."

* * *

"So how old are you now? Reached a hundred yet?" Percy asked lightly, trying to add some humor into the conversation.

Grover managed a weak grin. "You haven't seemed to improved your counting during the time you've been in a coma," he chuckled. "I'm almost 108 now, thank you very much. A lot older than how I was when we first met."

Percy smiled, though it hurt. "And I used to think twenty-eight was old."

The two walked in silence for a little longer. Percy felt numb inside. This was Grover, his best friend...but it wasn't Grover. Not the Grover he knew. And Percy knew that no matter what happened, this Grover would never be the same as the satyr he met when he was twelve.

Grover sighed and pawed the ground with his foot. "So," Grover said awkwardly, "I don't know how to go about this. Where...where do you want to start?"

Percy stared into the sky. "I guess...sort of where my life left off. I remember what happened that day...sort of, fuzzily. Why..." Percy felt a lump form in his throat, "why didn't anyone come to get me?"

"We tried, Percy..."

Despite himself, despite everything, Percy couldn't help but feel angry. "Why didn't you try _harder_? I wake up and there's no one around me, nothing that tells me about anything. I don't know where I am or what's happened and _no one's there_. How do you think I felt? Like all my friends had abandoned me and left me to rot! That they didn't care? What about the Mist? Do people just forget?"

Percy was almost yelling now. He didn't know why he was angry, didn't know where the words were coming from. They were simply rolling off his tongue like he'd been desperate to say them all day.

Grover didn't get mad. Instead, he simply placed his hand on one of the trees and leaned in like he was listening for a heartbeat. Percy felt a flicker of emotion again, but not anger. Sadness. Like he wasn't part of his friend's life anymore.

Grover leaned away from the tree.

"We tried, Percy. There were..." he seemed to struggle to find the right words, "technical difficulties. The Mist became almost unchangeable after your disappearance...Chiron could manipulate it in any way except for that pertaining to what happened to you that day. We still don't know why."

Grover looked away, almost as if he was ashamed.

"We searched for months and months, Percy. Annabeth..." his voice faltered before resuming again. "Annabeth led most of them. She even put off the Great Prophecy for you, Percy. We all did."

"The Great Prophecy?"

Grover nodded. "The Prophecy issued by Rachel. It had to do with Gaea, Greece, Rome...a long story. In the end, Greeks and Romans had to combine forces to defeat the Earth Mother."

"Romans?" Percy couldn't seem to keep the surprise out of his voice. "I didn't know..."

"Yes, Roman camp," Grover nodded. "We've been at war with them forever, but we made peace after Gaea. We helped them and they helped us. In fact..." Grover took a deep breath as if he was about to tell Percy something before he shook his head. "First of all, do you have any other questions?"

"Yes."

"What?"

Percy looked at Grover straight in the eyes. "You know who."

Grover looked away. "What do you want to know?"

"She..." the words were harder to get out than Percy had thought they would be. What if... "What happened to her? During the war against Gaea and after and..." this sounded immensely stalkerish, but... "and everything. Was she happy? Is she...is she...?"

Grover closed his eyes and Percy already knew the answer, before Grover even spoke.

"She wasn't happy...not without you. She always looked sad, like a part of her was missing...and she...she died, Percy. She died eleven years after your coma against a monster."

Grover opened his eyes and looked at Percy, as if hoping to make him understand, as if repetition would help brand the thought directly into his mind.

"She's dead."

* * *

They walked back in silence to the Camp.

Percy's mind didn't seem to be able to take anything in, though it noticed everything, from how some of the campers seemed older than usual and how the black-haired boy in the corner kept looking at him every few seconds. It noticed everything but Percy couldn't think. It was like his brain was a record player and there were only two words on a forever repeating disc.

_She's dead. She's dead. She's dead._

Percy didn't know what he'd have done if she was alive. He supposed he couldn't expect her to be—it had been 75 years and rarely did demigods survive above twenty. But he'd expected her to be there regardless...

"Dad!"

Percy stopped as Grover turned his head to see Maho bounding towards them. For a moment, Percy saw his old friend smile, a truly happy look.

"Percy, have you met Maho, my youngest son?" Grover introduced.

"Yes Dad, we've met," Maho smiled and moved away as Grover tried to pat his head. Grover smiled ruefully.

"How was your day?" Grover asked instead.

"Horrible," Maho complained. "I tried playing that song that you taught me but the strawberries absolutely hated it and tried to kill me...and then we had to put on a puppet show in class and you know how terrible I am at that...I did manage to find Percy though," at this Maho brightened, "but then Chiron sent me away to check on the harpies, who tried to convince me to help them wash dishes."

"That's a pity," Grover smiled. Percy watched on quietly, a dull ache in his stomach. If he hadn't fallen into a coma...maybe he and Annabeth would've had a son or a daughter who would complain about dishes and puppet shows...

Grover seemed to notice the change in Percy's expression and changed the topic. "Maho, it's almost dinnertime and I have a couple more things to talk about with Percy before then."

"Alright!" Maho said cheerfully.

Grover waited and Maho's face fell. "Oh...alone. Okay." He gave Percy a small smile before clopping away towards the black-haired boy who had been staring at him earlier.

Grover scratched his head and looked at Percy. "Where do you want to talk?"

Percy was silent for a moment as he looked at the ground, still trying to take everything in.

"You know where."

* * *

Waves broke near the shore, the sea a brilliant mixture of blues and greens. Grover and Percy sat on a log as Percy stared at the setting sun reflecting on the water.

There was the sound of a can cracking open and Percy turned towards Grover who held out a can of Coke to him. "Special privileges," he replied to Percy's questioning look. "It'll help."

Percy hesitated as he reached for the Coke. An image flashed in his mind.

"_Oh, and Coca-Cola? May I?"_

He shook the thought out of his head as he took the Coke, sipping it. The dark frothy liquid made its way down his throat and the sugar and caffeine seemed to sharpen reality.

The dinner bell began ringing and Grover looked at Percy sympathetically. "We don't have to go."

"Good," Percy said, taking another swig of his drink. "I don't want to."

Grover was quiet. "I guess I should tell you more about what happened with the Prophecy of Seven."

Percy didn't say anything and Grover took that as a sign to go on.

"We discovered the Roman camp when we had a switch of leaders. Annabeth and Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, switched places. It was really Hera's fault—but in the end, it was the right decision. Annabeth, Jason, along with several other demigods—Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, Frank Zhang, son of Mars, Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, and Reyna Arietta, daughter of Bellona—traveled to Greece where they defeated Gaea and her troops. They returned triumphant, saviors of Olympus and were rewarded. Jason was offered one wish, any wish, and he chose to create a Roman-Greek exchange program. Leo, if I remember correctly, got the chance to see his mother once again. Frank chose to have his curse relieved—though his shape-shifting powers were also diminished greatly. Hazel also chose to give up her curse and while she can still find precious stones, they no longer are cursed. Piper got to spend a month traveling with her father—no monsters. And Reyna...well, all she wished for was peace."

Percy nodded listlessly and Grover sipped his own Coke. He stared in front of him as the sun disappeared under the horizon.

"Annabeth's reward was designing New Athens."

For the first time since they had sat down, Percy actually looked at Grover with obvious attention. "New Athens?"

"Yeah," Grover said, gulping down a little more of the soda. "See, the Romans had this city...a safe city with a college where demigods went after serving ten years at camp. It was safe and peaceful...people had jobs, lives, kids, families. Annabeth helped design a sanctuary just like that."

A million thoughts whirred through Percy's head. Why hadn't she stayed in New Athens then? Why did she have to leave and...and...

"Do you want to see it?"

Percy blinked, for a moment wondering what Grover was talking about. Then he remembered.

"No. I don't. Not now."

Percy stood up and took a shaky breath before looking back. His soda can was empty. Their talk was done.

"Come on Grover, we might be able to catch the last bit of dinner."

The last few rays of sunlight disappeared.

_When you're the only one left, there's no one else left to be strong but you._

* * *

Percy sat down numbly at the head table next to Chiron and Grover, who seemed to be glancing back and forth between the tables and Chiron. He poked at his food before setting his fork down and placing his head in his hands. He was just glad that Dionysus had fulfilled his number of years at Camp and wans't there anymore.

A moment later, he looked up and in the mass of tables, he spotted Maho chatting with that black-haired boy again. Percy's brow furrowed. He wasn't really sure why the kid seemed to take extra notice of him, it was just that...

Just that he was alone. Just that he didn't have any siblings.

Just that he was sitting at the Poseidon table.

Percy almost stood up before his brain kicked in.

_You idiot. It's been 75 years. Your mom's dead. You asked for the oath between the Big Three to be disbanded. It's not surprising that you have a half-brother._

Before Percy's thoughts got much further, Chiron stood up. All the campers stopped eating, one snoring kid had to be nudged awake before Chiron continued.

"Hello, campers," Chiron said pleasantly. "We'll be heading off to the campfire shortly. However, I'd like to welcome a former camper of ours back to Camp Half-Blood...Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

There was a short silence, followed by loud applause. There were some whispers and pointing and Percy briefly caught the words, "him" and "Hero," flitting between the campers. Percy stood up wearily. He didn't feel like much of a hero.

The boy at the Poseidon table clapped as well, but it was polite applause. Restrained.

Percy nodded at the crowd and made his best attempt at a smile. A couple of girls from the Aphrodite cabin squealed but Percy dropped back in his seat. He didn't want their attention. He didn't want anyone's attention at all.

"Alright, thank you for your attention! S'mores will be served as usual. Apollo cabin..."

A blond guy Percy had never seen before stood up from the Apollo table and pumped his fist in the air. With that, everyone stood up and laughing, made their way towards the campfire.

The son of Poseidon shot Percy a last look before he started walking off. A blonde girl ran up to him and the two talked as they headed towards the campfire.

"Do you want to go?" Grover asked gently.

Percy's eyes looked towards the blazing fire in the distance.

"I guess."

* * *

By the time the two of them got there, the s'mores had been handed out and the campers were singing a song about great heroes of the past. Percy managed to shut out the singing as he and Grover found seats near the back.

They stayed there in silence for a few minutes and Percy was about to suggest that they head back when a voice pierced through his thoughts.

"Hi."

His half-brother, the son of Poseidon, stood there in front of him, hands in his pockets. There was an indecisive look on the guy's face, as if he didn't really know what to think of Percy either.

"Percy," Percy offered, holding out his hand.

His brother nodded as he took Percy's hand. "Yeah, I know. Famous Percy Jackson." He gave a slightly pained smile. "I'm Andy Lancaster."

Looking at Andy, Percy thought he was looking at a younger version of himself. Andy wasn't much younger than him, maybe a year or two, around the age he was when he'd been preparing to fight Kronos. The only difference was that Andy's eyes were a deep blue in contrast to Percy's sea green. Andy was also an inch shorter than Percy which made him feel a little better. It _had_ been 75 years after all...it would be a little embarrassing if he was shorter than his younger half-brother.

Someone tapped Andy on the shoulder and he looked behind him, then shifted over, a smile moving onto his face. Percy was relieved about the distraction—it gave him a little more time to really process everything.

"Hey Andy," a girl said. "I was wondering where you were. Oh, you're Percy Jackson, right?"

Percy looked up and was startled to find a girl who looked almost exactly like Annabeth. The main difference was that while Annabeth's hair had been pure blonde, this girl's hair was a dirty blonde. Her eyes were grey, like Annabeth's, but a softer shade.

She smiled at him as she shook his hand and made Percy feel wrong and tipped over inside. _Annabeth..._

"Andy," she said teasingly, jabbing the son of Poseidon with her elbow. "You forgot to introduce me."

"Oh. Right!" Andy said, distracted. He cleared his throat. "This is Lisabeth, Lisabeth Kale. She's a daughter of Athena."

_Of course she was..._

Lisabeth grinned. "You can call me Lis." She looked at Percy and her face clouded slightly. "We should go, Andy. Percy hasn't been here in a while...I'm sure he'd like to have some time to catch up." With that, she left, Andy shooting Percy a confused look before heading over with her.

Percy watched them leave for a while before turning his attention back to the fire. The Apollo kids were singing something about the Olympians now. Percy watched the flames flickering and the other campers laughing for a while before speaking.

"Sort of reminds me of Annabeth and me before...you know."

Grover took a moment to realize what Percy meant. "Oh, Andy and Lis? Yeah, they do remind me of you two," Grover smiled. "They got along a little better than you two did at first though."

"I'm sure."

Grover looked worriedly at Percy, who ignored his friend's concerned look. He simply sat there, watching.

* * *

Percy was still sitting there an hour and a half later. Most of the campers had gone to bed (some of the Morpheus kids had fallen asleep at the campfire and had to be moved out). The flames were almost gone, the hot coals glowing in the dark.

"You've had a long day."

Percy looked up to see Chiron. Grover had had to leave earlier to be with Maho and Juniper (along with his other son and daughter: Oaken and Briar) and it was only Percy sitting at the fire now.

"I suppose," Percy said. He looked upwards at the stars, still ever the same. Laying down on the grass, Percy traced the constellation of Zoe with his hand.

"I wanted you to meet the new Oracle. Rachel resigned a couple years back—she's an artist in Michigan now—and Julianna has been kind enough to replace her."

Percy craned his neck and saw a girl who, while in a way similar, made a big contrast to Rachel. She had straight auburn hair with light brown eyes and looked fairly average in almost every way. She dressed with more flair than many of the Aphrodite kids: simplicity and grace.

"Nice to meet you," Percy nodded.

"I thought you'd want to know the new Great Prophecy," Chiron said. "Also...Julianna has mentioned something that I think would be interesting for you to know."

The wind rustled and Percy felt a slight chill run down his spine.

"What is it?"

Chiron nodded at Julianna, who recited quickly.

_The sea in its greatest might_

_Clashed against the sun_

_The night with its greatest light_

_Told the world to run_

_The clock on the mantelpiece_

_Broken, standing still_

_The death of a foe unseen_

_A friend, soon to kill_

_The sand from the hourglass_

_Broken into shards_

_A game whose fate determines time_

_A player's final card_

Percy blinked. "And you think...?"

Chiron shook his head. "No. I do not believe it is about you. But..."

"Your father sent a request," Julianna interrupted. "In the form of a quest, actually. He knows you want and need answers and he intends to answer them. But not without a price."

Frustration boiled in Percy's stomach. Why couldn't he just get a straight answer for once?

"Tomorrow," Chiron decided. "We'll discuss more about this in the morning." He offered a hand to Percy, who took it and pulled himself up.

"You'll be sleeping in the Big House for tonight. I think you need some time to think everything over before anything else happens." Chiron slung Percy onto his back, despite the short ride. "It'll be alright, Percy. Don't worry."

But as Percy rode towards the Big House that night on Chiron's back, he couldn't help but worry.

* * *

Author's Note:

So maybe some of you are wondering why exactly Grover didn't have a stronger reaction to Percy's return. Well, first off, it's been 75 years. It's hard to know what your friend is like after so long, and it gradually becomes harder to remember what you shared. You've gotten over that person not being there, such a well of emotions would cause indecision. Second of all...well, Grover's well aware of his age and of how Percy is still the same as he last saw him. In my mind, Grover wanted to embrace his friend but wasn't sure how he'd take it. Grover's being empathetic by not embracing Percy, who might not know how to react (in this case, if Grover had hugged Percy, that's exactly what would've happened in my mind).

Andy and Lisabeth are sort of how I'd imagine Percy and Annabeth if they hadn't had to go through so much hardship. Lisabeth in particular isn't quite as serious as Annabeth, more sociable and outgoing but smart and hardworking at the same time. Andy isn't quite as big of a Seaweed Brain as Percy, but he's fairly sarcastic and likes to joke. He's less likely to blurt out comments that may worsen his situation and knows how to be serious if necessary.

I was actually really tempted to make Lisabeth a daughter of Apollo...but no offense to Apollo, I liked the thought of doing a son of Poseidon/daughter of Athena pair better and it's more daunting for Percy.

This is a slightly shorter chapter than I had planned for but I felt that the chapter had ended and anything else I added would've made it seem out of place. I really liked the Great Prophecy I wrote (and I have a great idea for it, but I doubt I'll ever get to writing it). Please review!


	4. All White

Author's Note: Hey, sorry for the super long hiatus. I've been really busy and I can't promise that I won't go on another hiatus again.

Someone pointed out to me that my Great Prophecy didn't rhyme correctly. I know that the two Great Prophecies both have a rhyme scheme o c, etc. but I don't think there was ever anything that said that all Great Prophecies had to follow that rhyme scheme. Who knows? Maybe Apollo decided that he wanted to change things up a bit.

Without further ado, the chapter!

* * *

It was an uneasy night.

Percy woke up early in the morning, drenched in sweat. He put his hand to his forehead, slipper palms pushing up at his dark hair. Already, the dream's details were slipping out of his grasp. Usually as a demigod he remembered dreams (they were generally too important to forget) but it seemed like his mind had forgotten all about that.

White. He remembered white. Lots and lots of white. And...something.

Percy gave up.

He walked over to the window, pushing the frame up. Chiron had thoughtfully given him a room that showed him the water, which Percy was immensely thankful for. The air shimmered before him and Percy reached curiously towards the open air.

His hand came out with a golden drachma clutched in his palm. Percy stared at it for a moment before plopping himself down on the bed again. He knew inside of him what Poseidon wanted him to do, but who? There wasn't anyone left...

Was there?

For a moment, Percy thought of calling his dad. Normally, Percy would feel awkward calling Poseidon. To call a god...it wasn't something most demigods did on a regular basis. No, gods prefer to stand to the side and be worshipped.

But there was someone else. Someone else that might still be there, even after all this time.

There was a small fountain in the corner of his room, which must've been installed just for Iris messages. Percy tossed the drachma into the mist and the drachma shimmered, just the way it always had.

"Tyson."

Percy didn't even bother to say a location. The mist bent and an image of a Cyclops hammering an amazing crystal sword appeared before him.

The Cyclops didn't notice him, and as crazily stalkerish as it sounded, Percy just took a moment to watch. The Cyclops admired the sword, bringing it to the light, and as he was putting the sword away, he caught sight of the hologram.

"Brother?"

His brother's deep voice had barely changed through the years, though it was somewhat rougher and a little slower. Tyson's eye widened as he stepped forwards, then shifted backwards, as if scared to embrace Percy's iris message. "My gods! Brother...you're really here!"

"Disappeared?" Percy asked. "What do you mean?" His heartbeat quickened. When had he disappeared? Chiron hadn't mentioned anything...

Tyson didn't answer his question as he tapped the base of the crystal sword. It shrunk down into something else, which Tyson shoved into his pocket.

"I'll come see you," Tyson decided. Percy felt saddened to see the start of gray hairs on Tyson's head. Every one had grown older. He was the only one who was still the same. Percy wasn't sure what rate Cyclops grew compared to humans, though he knew they definitely lived longer or grew more slowly.

"Bye Brother!" Tyson waved his hand through the Mist before Percy had a chance to reply. An uneasy feeling came over him. Everyone had changed...even Tyson. Tyson, his little brother...

No matter. Tyson was coming today. That was good, right?

* * *

It was maybe another hour before the campers would begin to get up. Percy traced the outside of his blue box with his finger. _Annabeth..._

Gathering up the strength, Percy opened up the box. The contents remained the same and he picked up the first letter. The blue paper felt light in his hands, almost exactly like the one that Poseidon had sent him so many years ago. His hands trembling, Percy tried to open the letter without damaging the outer envelope. It opened easily. Percy almost wished that it hadn't.

Inside, the letter only consisted of one page. Percy pulled it out, letting the envelope drop onto his bed as he sat himself down heavily. Smoothing the page out, he saw familiar handwriting and he swallowed as he read it.

_Dear Percy,_

_It's been a week now. A week since they delivered the news._

_Poseidon told me. He was kind about it. Tried to deliver the blow gently. But it was anything but gentle._

_This stationary...it appeared to me a few days after he visited. I didn't want to use it though. It was too painful. Paul's tried his best to comfort me about it, but I think he's at a loss too. It was so...so..._

_You went on so many adventures, so many that seemed so much more dangerous. And then, your quest was over. I thought you would be safe, at least safer. But then..._

_One week, Percy. One week. It all changed. Everything._

_I don't know if you'll ever read this. They didn't let us see you—first the hospital, then...they took you. They haven't told me where and I know it's probably because I can't really believe it...but I have a bad feeling, like something's happened._

_Percy..._

_~ Mom_

A tear dropped onto the letter, but it faded immediately. Percy wondered if Poseidon's stationary had magic incorporated in them—his dyslexia hadn't prevented him from reading it. Or maybe it was the 75 years. But...

Percy folded the page up before placing it back in the envelope. He placed it back in the box and shut it close. Then he took in a deep breath, laid his head back on the pillow, and cried.

* * *

Percy appeared to breakfast dry-eyed. The worried glances from Chiron did not go unnoticed, though Percy chose to ignore them. Along with the other campers, Percy rose to burn an offering for the gods. While standing in front of the brazier, Percy hesitated. He didn't know what else he could want...it seemed like everything was falling apart. What prayer could he give to the gods?

He closed his eyes and felt himself rock back and forth, almost like if he wanted to, he could slip away entirely. Finally, he scraped a large portion of his food (just about all of it) into the flames.

"Help me."

Julianna approached him as Percy scrapped away most of the remainder of his food. "Hey," she said, smiling lightly. As Percy looked at her, he felt a slight pang of unease and discontent. He knew it was mean of him to judge Julianna when they had only just met, but he would've given a lot to be able to see Rachel standing there.

"Hey," Percy replied quietly.

"Percy, there's something you need to know." Her tone was light, but her words resounded in Percy's mind.

_Percy, something is about to happen. A trick that ends in death._

"-cy? Percy?" Julianna's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh." Percy felt a little embarrassed. "Sorry, it's been a lot."

Julianna's gaze was both comforting and eerily piercing. "I know." She looked sideways at the Big House. "Do you want to go in? We can talk about things there...with Chiron of course." The centaur had left several minutes ago without an excuse and Percy hadn't really thought about it until then.

"Yeah, sure, of course." Percy rose from his seat wearily. Julianna seemed patient enough as they walked to the Big House. Percy walked stiffly until they were in the rec room where Chiron was waiting.

"How did you sleep?" Chiron asked gently. Percy shrugged. He didn't remember dreaming, but he didn't feel like it had been an easy night either.

Chiron nodded as if he hadn't expected anything different. "Like I said yesterday, Poseidon issued you a quest yesterday, just prior to your arrival. We thought it was for Andy at first, but when you arrived...well, it became clear."

Percy nodded listlessly as he stared out the window. A couple of campers were playing volleyball and it seemed insanely normal. He wanted to disappear.

"Julianna, would you tell us the prophecy?"

Julianna nodded.

_Five shall journey to the sea of peace_

_Where enemies will never cease_

_Lacking, only, a single spell_

_Whose whereabouts, you cannot tell_

_You will find the spirit who seeks the truth_

_Hidden inside the fountain of youth_

_The white emblazoned, to never rest_

_A hero embarks on his final test_

_And gone, with the hero's final breath_

_Another story to end in death_

Percy stopped, thinking of the poem. "Well, that's cheerful," he muttered. A part of him felt angry. He'd only just realized everything that had happened. How could Poseidon...how could he just force him to go on yet another journey—one that obviously, from the wording of the prophecy, would end in a tragedy.

And that line..._the white emblazoned, to never rest_. Last night, Percy had dreamt about something white. Exactly what it was, Percy wasn't sure, but it made him feel even more discouraged.

"I can't choose campers," Percy said to Chiron. "I don't know any of them."

Chiron nodded, not looking the slightest bit fazed. This action almost annoyed Percy, though he couldn't pinpoint why. He was just angry...angry at everything. "I know. And Percy...it's a lot to handle. I know that. But you need someone's help and...maybe your brother is the one to seek."

A turmoil of emotions went through Percy's head. Surprise. Annoyance. Anger. Unwillingness. He didn't want to ask his brother for help. Heck, he'd just found out he'd had a brother yesterday.

_Sounds an awful lot like what happened with Tyson, and look how that turned out..._

The thought of Tyson and the remembering of the early morning message made Percy calm down.

"Okay," he said. "Okay, Andy can come. And...he can choose two other companions...I don't care who they are. Just someone. But I want Tyson to be with us."

"Tyson?" Chiron blinked. "Percy, you know that Tyson is..." The centaur hesitated and part of Percy wanted to hear what he had to say. Old? Had too much responsibility? What?

"Please," Percy begged. "I need my brother. Not Andy. My brother."

Chiron sighed. "Alright, but you'll need to get in contact with him. Not that that should take too long."

Percy nodded. "I IM'd him this morning...he should be here within a couple of hours."

"Alright," Chiron said. "Julianna dear, would you go and mind to the campers. Percy and I need to go talk to Andy about who else will be-"

"No," Percy cut Chiron off. "I...I don't want to talk to Andy." He looked at the centaur in the eyes. "Please. Could you just tell him that I want him on this quest? It'll just be a whole lot easier."

"Percy, I'm sure it would be much better if you-" Chiron started, but Percy was already shaking his head.

"I don't want to deal with him." There was a tinge of anger in Percy's voice, one that he himself was a little taken aback by. He didn't know why he didn't want Andy along with him...but Percy felt a deep mistrust of the son of Poseidon.

_He's your brother!_

He was. But he wasn't. Tyson was much more of a brother than Andy was or ever could be.

Percy walked out of the rec room, not bothering to glance back. He didn't want to deal with any of them, with any of it. Maybe it was for the best that someone was going to die on the quest. Maybe it was going to be him.

* * *

Percy slashed at the dummy vigorously with Riptide. He unleashed all his pent up energy at it, stabbing, parrying aside invisible blows, and basically, if the dummy had been a demigod, he would be in pieces.

"Hey."

The voice was cautious and calm, but Percy whirled around with his sword towards the sound. Andy jumped back, raising his own sword in defense. It was a typical Camp Half-Blood sword and Andy wielded it comfortably. Percy wasn't sure why he was picking up on the details, though he raised his eyes and looked at Andy.

"Hey." Percy's voice was a dull monotone. "Did Chiron talk to you?"

Andy nodded. "Yeah." He shifted from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable with their conversation. "I chose the two people you said I could choose...Lis and Maho. They're probably my two best friends."

Two best friends, huh. Percy couldn't help wincing. He felt like someone else was repeating his life.

"You're good," Andy said, jerking his head towards the sword arena behind Percy. "I'm alright, but I tend to improvise more than rely on pure technique..."

"What do you want, Andy?" Percy asked wearily. He ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the boy who was almost the exact replica of him.

Andy blinked, surprised. "I just wanted to talk."

Percy stuck his sword in the ground, tracing out lines. "Well, you've done that. Talking's over." He tapped the cap to the blade of Riptide and put the pen back in his pocket.

As he walked away from Andy, the boy yelled. "You can't keep walking away from everything, Percy. I'm your brother. It wasn't my choice, it wasn't your choice. You're just gonna have to deal with it."

Percy sped his pace up. He didn't want to listen. He didn't want to listen at all.

* * *

Percy made his way to Half-Blood Hill without further ado. Peleus lifted his head gently and Percy patted him on the head. The dragon made a low, contented sound as Percy scratched him behind the ear before he settled back to guarding the tree.

Percy sat on the edge of the boundary between the mortal world and the demigod camp. He was angry, but he didn't know why. He didn't think he was angry at Andy. Now that he'd thought about it, he knew what Andy had shouted at him as he left was right. Andy didn't choose to be the son of Poseidon. Percy hadn't chosen to have another brother. But Andy was there and for some reason, Percy just didn't want to face him.

Andy reminded Percy a bit of himself, more than he'd like to think. And maybe they would've gotten along, if none of this had happened. Maybe they would've become as close as he and Tyson had been once. Maybe...

But that hadn't happened. Annabeth had gone and gotten herself killed. He had gone and gone into a 75-year coma. Everything had changed. Even him.

Besides, he couldn't afford to like any of the campers. He couldn't afford to get too close to them. If he did...then what? Percy didn't want to live in Camp Half-Blood forever and he didn't want to go to the outside world. There was nowhere left for him to be.

Suddenly, an arrow shot out of nowhere, narrowly missing Percy's ear. He was immediately on the alert, whipping out Riptide without a hint of hesitation. He looked around. Where could the arrow have come from?

Then he saw a figure dressed in white. Loose, yoga-like white pants and a long-sleeved white top. Percy squinted. Was it a half-blood coming up the hill or someone else? He couldn't really tell... The figure strolled up the hill, not in the least bit worried about making it to the top. Then another person appeared. This person was taller, but also dressed in white—the same uniform. Briefly, Percy wondered why a person would choose to wear so much white. It seemed like it would get dirty...

Another arrow cut his thoughts off and Percy jumped to the side. Landing on a rock, he slipped. Just as he was catching himself, two strong arms caught him, gripping his arms so hard Percy flinched.

"It's okay." For some reason, Percy felt as if he'd heard the voice before and when he looked up, his heart skipped a beat. That man...

"You remember me, don't you?" Percy's doctor, the one who'd been there chasing after him when he'd first woken up, smiled.

Percy twisted his body, loosening the man's grip, and jumped backwards, slashing instinctively with his sword. This man...was he mortal?

In mere seconds, the man dove in with a dagger. With astonishing skill and force, he parried away Percy's blade. Percy stepped back over the boundary line. Surely the man couldn't cross over and it might buy him some time...

To his shock, the man easily vaulted over the boundary line. Percy wanted to call on Peleus, but he didn't know if that would do more harm than good.

The man pressed against Riptide and Percy gritted his teeth. Loosening the tension, he ducked to the side and rolled, ending up behind the man. The man turned around, raising his dagger just as Percy brought his sword down. Metal clanged against metal and the doctor's eyes looked grim.

"Percy?"

Percy felt a wave of annoyance pass over him. Of course his brother would be here.

He dove to the side as the doctor made a swipe at him. The blow grazed his side, making a tear in his shirt, but the blade bounced against his bare skin. Good. It was good to know that his powers were still intact...

Suddenly, something covered his mouth and nose, tightly placed there by a thin but strong hand. Percy felt a sense of claustrophobia and unwisely dropped his sword. A sickly smell entered his nostrils and Percy began to struggle, though he could feel the energy being sapped out of him. Andy was yelling now but his voice was getting fainter and fainter. Percy felt his knees buckle and whoever had pressed the cloth over his face caught him as he fell.

For some reason, all Percy could think of was that the sky looked very blue today.

* * *

Chocolate chip cookies.

Percy's eyes snapped open and he instinctively reached for his back pocket before he saw the centaur leaning over him. He was already sitting up and had a straw in his mouth.

Chiron's face was creased with worry, though it smoothened out to a smile as he took the glass of nectar away from Percy's mouth.

"So here we are again," Percy murmured. He had a terrible headache, but otherwise felt fine.

Chiron nodded. "You were lucky Andy was there. He's packing his things right now, but he'll be here in a moment."

Percy hesitated. "Packing his things?" he echoed.

"Yes. Your quest has been pushed up. I'd like you to get started as soon as you're ready to go."

Percy stared. "But why?" he questioned. Inside, he felt somewhat panicked. "Has Tyson gotten here yet? We can't leave without him."

The look on Chiron's face was enough to tell him the answer. "You heard the prophecy. It said we needed five. We can't move out without five."

Chiron looked a little disgruntled, but he explained. "Those men...Percy, we never told you exactly what happened that caused us to not be able to find you. But those men were part of it and they came here searching for you specifically. They might not have known when you were going to exit Camp but they tried to time their entrance so that you would be alone. If it hadn't been for Andy, you wouldn't be here anymore."

Andy, Andy, Andy. For some reason, Percy felt a well of anger. He knew it was wrong to take it out on his brother, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He took a deep breath. "So?"

"They won't expect you to leave so soon and it'll prevent them from being able to catch up to you easily." Chiron's voice was calm, but commanding. "You need to leave now. I'll send Tyson to find you once he gets here. Hopefully it won't take more than a couple hours before he does."

A hint of worry passed over Chiron's face which made Percy wonder. What was taking his brother this long anyways? Shouldn't he have arrived by now?

"Alright," Percy said, finally relenting. He swung his feet over the bed, ignoring the slight dizziness he felt as he stood up. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

Percy waited for his half-brother, Maho, and Lis. He felt restless as he sat near Peleus, who snored.

"Fat lot of good you did," Percy murmured. The dragon responded by yawning, leaving Percy gagging from its breath.

A feeling of uneasiness has settled within Percy. Why had the men been able to get through the Camp's defenses without even rousing Peleus? Percy looked helplessly at the Golden Fleece. Thalia...he wondered if she was still around. She might be the only one who could understand his predicament now...

Maho came trotting up, an excited smile on his face. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he pulled up near Percy, though he tripped over a rock and nearly fell flat on his face. He blushed, an embarrassed look appearing on his face. "Sorry about that."

Percy caught a smile glancing over his face. Maho might've been named a girly name by his mother, but there was no satyr he resembled more than his father. The smile faded quickly. It almost felt like Maho was becoming a replacement for Grover...a thought that Percy didn't think he could bear. "Where are Andy and Lis?" he asked instead.

Maho opened his mouth to reply when Lis came jogging up. With the sunlight reflecting off her hair, she looked more and more like Annabeth by the second, making Percy ache inside. "Hey," she said, smiling brightly. Two daggers were strapped to her sides and she was wearing a comfortable looking pair of brown pants and a blue t-shirt with abstract designs covered in it with white. A light blue cap peeked out of her pocket and she wore a watch in addition to a couple of hairbands.

The girl couldn't be more like Annabeth if she had modeled herself after an image of her. Percy blinked hard, surprised to find tears in his eyes. He gave a weak smile at Lis, hoping to cover it up.

Andy came rushing up. His sword looked a little awkward hanging from his side and to Percy's surprise, he found the sight almost odd. While he'd seen plenty of his friends carrying swords, they were almost always magical ones and never had he gone on a quest with someone without a magical item of some sort. Andy was so...so normal for a son of Poseidon. But where Percy normally felt a wave of jealousy, there was nothing.

"Come on," Percy sighed. "It's high time we hit the road."

* * *

It was plain and simple. Percy didn't trust any of them much. Maybe Maho a little more than the others—the satyr bumbled and stumbled around, but his cheerful attitude reminded him so much of Grover it was hard not to like him—but Percy had barely talked to any of them. It wasn't like Annabeth...or Tyson...or Grover...or any of them. These people he was traveling with...they were...they weren't his friends. They weren't the people that he had gone through quests and wars together with. They hadn't stood side by side with him as he defended Manhattan. They weren't the people who had thrown themselves in danger in order to help him on his way. They...this...it...

Percy shook his head. Argus drove in silence while Maho hummed a tune, tapping it on the shuttle's glass. Lis tied her hair in a ponytail and put her cap on while muttering something under her breath. It still made Percy feel a little pained when he watched her go through a cycle of habits she was obviously used to doing, but he'd managed to scurry most of his feelings away.

His eyes turned to Andy, who was simply staring out at the scenery around him. For the first time, Percy didn't feel resentful of the boy. He was just curious. What had Andy's life been like? Had he known he was the son of Poseidon for a long time or was it new news? Did he stay at Camp all year or did he return home? Did he have a family to go home to? Did he have a mother? A father?

Who was he?

His half-brother was a mystery and for the first time since Percy had woken up, he felt something other than depression and grief.

He just wasn't really sure what it meant or what it was.


End file.
